Workout of the Day:
Strict Pull-Ups - three sets for max reps, or
Kipping Pull-Up Clinic
and then,
Complete as many rounds as possible of:
One minute of 5 Box Jumps (24″/18″) and 5 Push-Ups, then rest for one minute;
Two minutes of 5 Box Jumps and 5 Push-Ups, then rest for one minute;
Three minutes of 5 Box Jumps and 5 Push-Ups, then rest for one minute;
Three minutes of 5 Box Jumps and 5 Push-Ups, then rest for one minute;
Two minutes of 5 Box Jumps and 5 Push-Ups, then rest for one minute; and
One minute of 5 Box Jumps and 5 Push-Ups.

Prehab: Strengthening Your Serratus Anteriors
Written by Mark Riebel

Often in our warm-ups at Invictus we perform exercises such as scapular push-ups, which help to prepare the shoulder joint for more activity but more importantly, help to strengthen the serratus anterior and stabilize those loose shoulders of yours.

The serratus anterior (one on each side of your body) originates on several of your ribs and inserts on the medial anterior aspect of your scapula, the side of the shoulder blade closest to the spine and facing your ribs. This often neglected muscle functions to protract the shoulder blade (shrug it forward), upwardly rotate the scap, and also just offers an overall element of stabilization to the joint. As you can see, this muscle is a very important part of establishing a strong rack position as well as helping with a solid overhead lift. If you’ve got a weak serratus, which can be exacerbated by the typical kyphotic office-worker position that so many of us take behind the desk, not only can you have difficulty in establishing an overhead position at all, but it could lead to more serious injury as your try to compensate for this weakness by, for example, arching your back to get overhead. A weak serratus can be seen in a condition called scapular winging, where the scaps protrude away from the back rather than laying flat. This will be even more pronounced when the individual presses horizontally against resistance.

The best way to avoid (or help correct) this situation is obviously to strengthen your serratus, and to do that is fairly simple. The easiest method with the least resistance is to stand with your arms straight in front of you with a light band wrapped around your back and the ends in your hands.  Keeping your arms straight, squeeze your shoulder blades together, then move your hands forward by sliding your shoulder blades forward.

This exercise should be done for a few sets in the high rep range, three sets of 20 for example. It’s easy to add more resistance if a light band doesn’t provide enough, just use a thicker band or perform the exercise in a push-up position (as pictured above), with or without the band.

Start working those serratus muscles before or after your workouts for a more stable and less injury-prone shoulder.